GOOD EATS #2

Your Holiday Hints

For the first time since the NBA lockout ended, players will return to the triple-A for a voluntary workout and physicals. Official training camp won’t actually open for another week.

For many Heat players this will be their first time back at the arena since Game 6 of the NBA Finals when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks 105-95. The Heat will have their chance for payback, however, since their first game of the shortened season will be against the Mavs on Christmas Day.

Several months of impasse at the bargaining table came to an end over the weekend when players and team owners finally agreed to a deal. The league is now not wasting any time in getting back to work. They’ve given teams permission to start talking with free agents but won’t allow them to make any offers until December 9th.

The Heat will have several decisions to make on that day, including what to do with free agents like Mario Chalmers, James Jones and Mike Bibby.

This week’s voluntary workouts will give coaches a chance to see where their players are physically and give them an important leg up on what will be a very abbreviated training camp; only 16 days between the start of training camp and the first game of the season.